Before, After, and Inbetween
by Lightning515
Summary: Undertale Drabble and Short Story collection Chapter 1: Sometimes all they need is each other's company.


**Summary: Sometimes all they need is each other's company**

 **Notes: Post Genocide and Post True Pacifist, spoilers for both. The order of the routes is Neutral - Genocide - True/Soulless Pacifist**

 **Unbeta'd**

 **Disclaimer: Undertale belongs to toby fox**

* * *

It was a clear night, not a cloud in sight and a full moon high in the sky. The stars were out and the non-poluted air of the mountains allowed the night sky to be filled with countless specks of light. Perfect star-gazing weather. Sans gazed at the lights, hands clasped behind his head as he took in the sight above him.

He never really got tired of looking at the stars. They were different that those in the roof of Waterfall; those ones were static and stationary, able to be touched if you reached high enough. These ones were endless and changed with time, unreachable by normal means. Sometimes he would stay up the whole night just to watch them move across the never-ending sky. Other nights he would bring out his telescope and observe them closely, noting the constellations that appeared throughout the night.

And other nights, like today, he would come out here when the demons of the past refused to let him fall asleep.

It's been a full year since they made it to the Surface and things were going well. Most of the monsters had settled near Mt. Ebott, not wanting to leave the place that was familiar to them for so long. Integrating to society and becoming accepted by humans was slow; but progress was being made every day, thanks to a certain individual (and the previous rulers of the Underground).

However, as much as he loathed to admit it, there were times when that individual made his nonexistent heart clench in fear. Night brought back painful memories, memories of a time when dust covered the Underground and a red scarf was wrapped around his neck. He had lived through it countless times and even a year later the idea that a reset could undo everything had him scrambling in the morning to make sure this was reality, that everyone was alive and on the Surface.

It wasn't their fault; he already knew that as a fact. After countless runs of that terrible nightmare, Sans was caught by surprise when they exitted the Ruins not covered in dust and proceeded to participate in Papyrus's puzzles. He had caught them alone, ready to ask what type of sick joke this was and when they were going to reset. What he didn't expect was for them to fall to their hands and knees, tears falling onto the snow as they begged for forgiveness. He had heard the whole story then. About how scared they were when Flowey appeared and attacked them. About how a voice convinced them that killing was the only way to survive. About how the voice told them everyone just wanted them _ **dead**_.

They were scared and didn't know what to do.

During the first run, they did their best to ignore the voice. They were convinved that with determination they could become everyone's friend and save the world.

It didn't work.

Asgore was killed by Flowey, who proceed to torment them by killing them over and over again. When they finally broke free, they were back on the bed of golden flowers in the beginning. They were scared, terrified that they would never escape.

And so Chara took control.

By the time they encountered Sans at the Final Corridor, dust covering their entire body, they realized that Chara was wrong. Try as they might, they struggled to regain control over their body, which resulted in reset after reset. It took a while, but eventually they won and put an end to the living nightmare.

The steps to forgiveness were slow but time eventually healed most wounds and the fact that there had been no more resets since they left the Underground had helped immensely with that fact.

Even so, time couldn't heal everything and scars from the past still remained.

Sans found that on days like these, the stars served as a constant reminder of what Frisk had accomplished, of where they were today. Sometimes he would sleep outside and wake to the sunrise and the prospect of another day without resets.

A quiet clack and the turning of a door handle had Sans glancing in the direction of the door, which froze halfway open. It was dark inside the house but the moonlight helped him make out a small figure, wrapped tightly in a blanket covered with snails and bones. The light shone on their face, illuminating the tearstreaks down their cheeks and the fear deep within their eyes.

So he wasn't the only one having one of those nights.

The skeleton let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding and gestured for them to come closer with one hand. Without hesitation, they shut the door as quietly as they could and bound over to Sans, practically jumping onto the sofa and into his waiting arms. They buried their face into Sans's soft blue hoodie and he wrapped his arms around them protectively, stroking their back comfortingly as he waited for them to calm down.

The stars continued their slow trek across the sky and Sans was lightly dozing when they moved. He released his tight hold on them but kept one arm wrapped around them, keeping them curled up next to his chest. They fidgeted for a while, and then flipped around and settled, watching the stars above them. Sans tugged the blanket tighter around them before slipping his free hand into his pocket, the other still holding Frisk close.

No words needed to be spoken; they both knew the terrors of the night and the scars that the darkness opened up. Instead, they took comfort in each other's company, knowing that they both had similar scars of a past that couldn't be forgotten.

* * *

When Papyrus woke up later, he found the door to his brother's room open and the couch in the living room bare. The younger skeleton smiled gently and grabbed a spare blanket from his room before quietly heading to the porch. He tucked the blanket around the two, who were fast asleep after a long restless night, and went back inside to prepare some spaghetti pancakes.

* * *

 **A/N: Their porch faces the sunrise and since Sans falls asleep there a lot, they put a sofa outside.**

 **Thanks for reading ^^**

 **Ciao ciao~**

 **Pikachu**

 **4 February 2016**


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